This invention relates to systems and methods for building shower enclosures, and more particularly to a system and method for installing shower walls in a shower enclosure.
Shower enclosures are usually set up and installed by professionals, especially when the shower walls for such enclosures are formed of a one-piece material such as natural or artificial stone. Stone shower walls generally require custom sizing, and skilled handling for installation in a shower enclosure. The expenses and complexity of such installation may discourage a do-it-yourselfer from using stone or other similar unitary wall structures in shower enclosures.
As used herein the term “shower enclosure” is intended to refer to a shower chamber or shower stall with two or more shower walls, and is closable by a shower door, and can also include one or more fixed glass or plastic panels that extend away from the shower walls to the shower door.
In accordance with the invention unitary shower wall structures (also referred to as shower walls) can be made in predetermined sizes and packaged individually or in a kit. The invention also includes novel installation tools that enable a do-it-yourselfer to install the shower walls. Thus the present system for installing shower walls is amenable for mass marketing as one or more off-the-shelf products.
Corresponding reference numbers indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.